This complaint was filed on behalf of a “French citizen living in Israel” who has not given any sign of life since the start of the Hamas offensive against Israel.
A complaint for “crimes against humanity” against Hamas was filed Thursday October 12 in France, announced lawyer Nathanaël Majster in a press release sent to franceinfo. It’s the first in France but “several other families are reuniting” and they are also considering filing a complaint, he tells franceinfo.
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“We filed today with the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) a complaint for crimes against humanity targeting the legal entities Hamas and Izz-al-Din al-Qassam Brigades” after the attacks targeting Israel. But also, “their accomplices”. Nathanaël Majster tells franceinfo that Iran is “aimed” because “it seems that one or two meetings took place a week before in Beirut between Hamas executives and executives of the Revolutionary Guards”. This complaint also targets “all natural persons responsible for carrying out what appears today to be a systematic attack resulting from concerted and planned action against civilian populations”.
This complaint was filed “on behalf of Marc Perez, French citizen living in Israel” who has not given any sign of life since Saturday October 7. Marc Perez received “Saturday early morning a panicked call from his daughter Maya who was at the Nova music festival near the border with Gaza”. This event was targeted by a Hamas assault. The father of the family, recounts Me Majster, “decided to go looking for him and managed to get to the scene where the drama was taking place”.
“A concerted plan to eliminate an organized civilian population”
In his press release, the lawyer emphasizes that upon his arrival, “the places were not secure and the armed groups continued their work of death”. Marc Perez’s daughter, Maya, managed to escape from the festival and “came home”. On the other hand, continues Me Nathanaël Majster, “We have no news from Marc Perez even though his car, pierced by bullets, a shoe belonging to him and his cell phone were found at the crime scene”.
Me Majster hopes that the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office will open a judicial investigation under the legal qualification of Crimes against Humanity “because we are not facing the abuses of a regular army, but a concerted plan to eliminate a civilian population organized with external support by a terrorist organization in application of a political charter which aims to “extermination of Jews in the region and beyond and not to achieve war aims”.
We must search for Marc Perez, ask for his lawyer
The lawyer continues: “We also expect French justice to shed light on the planning and execution of these actions and that Mr. Marc Perez be sought and returned safely to his family.”
In an interview with franceinfo, Me Majster believes that the Pnat “is surely going to be a somewhat difficult situation between diplomatic imperatives, its policy regarding the investigation of crimes against humanity…” Him and his clients “understand” but wait “her decision”. The lawyer emphasizes that“there have already been investigations of crimes against humanity at the crimes against humanity division of the national anti-terrorist prosecution in Paris”. Thus, he continues, “There is no reason why there should not be some for these acts even if they are committed by a terrorist group. A terrorist group can also commit crimes against humanity”.